Think you’re going to pay for Starbucks with your shiny new Apple Watch this evening? Think again. Starbucks computers are down across North America, and some stores are giving out free coffee in the meanwhile. I certainly enjoyed mine!
“Yes it is true,” Starbucks spokesman Jim Olson told CNNMoney. “The point of sale cash registers are down in the U.S. and Canada. It is not a hack. It happened during a typical daily menu refresh on the system. Something went wrong and they are working as quickly as possible to get them up.”
Don’t get too excited, though. When I went back to my barista for a pastry to go along with my brew, he asked for cash. In the scant 30 minutes or so I spent at a Starbucks, shooting photos for my Apple Watch review, new orders had come down from on high. Some coffee shops are now only accepting cash, he said, while other locations are closing early tonight.
Image by Nicola under Creative Commons license.